Tutor Learning Initiative (Reference 129)
The Tutor Learning Initiative (TLI) is designed to provide additional targeted small group learning support to students who need it most. For further information on the TLI, refer to the department's policy on the Tutor Learning Initiative.
Eligibility
All government schools, except ‘Camp’ school types are eligible for TLI funding in 2023, including:
- Primary
- Secondary
- Primary/Secondary
- Specialist
- Language.
The following misclassified camp schools are excluded:
- The Alpine School
- Outdoor School
- Rubicon Outdoor Centre
- Somers School Camp
- Sovereign Hill School.
Monash Children’s Hospital school has no enrolments and is not funded. Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) has been excluded based on school request.
Funding
Schools do not have to apply for TLI funding. Funding will be provided directly to schools as a specific purpose payment through a Student Resource Package (SRP) credit allocation.
Schools must only use their funding for the provision of the TLI, which is to provide targeted teaching by a tutor to students identified as needing the most support, such as those who are falling behind or are below national minimum standards in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).
Schools can use additional funds through, for example, Equity (Social Disadvantage) funding, to expand the TLI program.
This funding includes tutor on-costs for superannuation and payroll tax. When hiring staff, it is important to factor in these on-costs as they are not separately itemised within the budget.
Schools were advised of their TLI funding in the Indicative SRP in September 2022. Schools subsequently received a letter in Term 4 2022 detailing the equivalent FTE and number of students this is expected to support, and their expected 2022 SRP credit surplus contribution where applicable.
Enrolments collected during the February 2023 census are used to finalise the 2023 TLI allocation to schools. Each school will receive a confirmed TLI allocation equal to or greater than the amount that was advised in September 2022.
The funding allocation for each school is based on a model of students receiving 2 or 3 45-minute sessions each week, in groups of no more than 5 students, for 26 weeks. Each school can allocate this funding to meet their specific context and identified student needs across a range of time frames.
Schools are required to spend and acquit the TLI allocation during the 2023 calendar year (including any unspent 2022 TLI funding). Schools will, however, be able to retain unspent 2023 funding for the salary of tutors who are employed until 19 January 2024. As funding is only allocated in 2023, the unspent portion of funding will form the final 2023 credit position and be rolled over into the 2024 year, as per normal SRP reconciliation processes.
Calculation
Each eligible school campus receives a base level allocation of $25,000 with additional loadings based on student enrolments and disadvantage.
For each eligible campus:
a) Primary schools
Provided if Primary enrolment > 0
Formula:
Max of
[Floor 25K]
or
[Pri_total_enrol × Pri_enrol_rate + Pri_SD_enrol × Pri_SD_enrol_rate]
b) Secondary schools
Provided if Secondary enrolment > 0
Formula:
Max of
[Floor 25K]
or
[Sec_total_enrol × Sec_enrol_rate + Sec_SD_enrol × Sec_SD_enrol_rate]
c) Schools with both primary and secondary enrolments
(a) + (b)
Rates
Primary year level (Prep to Year 6 including primary ungraded or age equivalents) per student rate: $157.98 (referenced as Pri_total_rate in calculation above).
Secondary (Year 7 to Year 12 including secondary ungraded or age equivalents) per student rate: $178.77 (referenced as Sec_total_rate in calculation above).
Primary and special eligible social disadvantage per student rate: $424.96 (referenced as Pri_SD_enrol_rate in calculation above).
Secondary social disadvantage per student rate: $480.88 (referenced as Sec_SD_enrol_rate in calculation above).
Please note that these rates are rounded to 2 decimal places.
Credit surplus allocation
Schools received a letter in Term 4 2022 detailing their indicative 2023 TLI funding allocations, including credit surplus contribution where applicable.
The letter advised that where schools had unspent credit funds in excess of $10,000 provided for the employment of teaching and support staff as at pay period ending 24 September 2022, a proportion of these funds was required to be directed to support the engagement of tutors in 2023.
Schools’ contribution towards TLI is up to 30% of their 2023 indicative TLI allocation, providing it does not exceed 15% of their projected 2022 credit surplus. In instances where the 30% of the indicative TLI contribution is greater than the 15% of their 2022 projected credit surplus, schools will contribute less than 30% of their TLI allocations. This will ensure the new department funding is at least 70% for each school and schools’ remaining credit balances are greater than $10,000 as at the designated pay period.
Schools’ projected 2022 credit surplus will not include Disability Inclusion or Mental Health funding. As in 2022, schools will be able to use additional funds through, for example, Equity funding to expand their TLI offering in 2023.
Accountability requirements
Schools are required to:
- ensure eduPay records are updated by coding tutors as they are recruited. Schools must code tutors using the TLI code: 80026. Note that if tutors are being appointed from the school’s existing staff, their tutoring FTE must be re-coded to the TLI code: 80026 using a General Ledger (GL) override on eduPay
- keep up-to-date records of students participating in TLI by regularly tagging or un-tagging students in CASES21.This should be undertaken at the latest by end of week 6 each term. When recording TLI student details, please specify if the focus of the support is literacy or numeracy, or both
- utilise an approved template for tutors to record students’ learning goals
- complete implementation surveys.
In some cases, schools may also be invited to participate in interviews and focus groups as part of the TLI Evaluation.
Contact information
For further information contact your Student Achievement Manager, or tutor@education.vic.gov.au
Reviewed 21 June 2023